


It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

by TheEnchantress



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Demon Dean Winchester, Mark of Cain, Season/Series 09, Team Free Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-24
Updated: 2014-05-24
Packaged: 2018-01-26 08:02:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1680842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEnchantress/pseuds/TheEnchantress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel finds out about Dean's "new life".</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by a tumblr post by http://thewinchesterstales.tumblr.com

Dean had been standing in front of the mirror for hours, blinking his eyes from green to black and back again, practicing the action. He rubbed at the mark that was even more prominent on his arm now and let out a sigh so heavy, it could knock down a tree.

Dean looked down at his hand and repeatedly opened and closed it, the sting of the first blade still lingering in his palm.

“Dean.” A relieved voice sounded behind him, startling him out of his thoughts. “Sam told me you were alive- I thought…” Castiel trailed off, his voice sounding more and more human with each worried syllable. Dean kept his head low and didn’t move to look at Cas. “Dean, I thought you were dead,” Castiel finished.

“Don’t worry about me Cas,” Dean finally replied, his voice low. “We both know I don’t give up that easy.” Castiel moved toward him and Dean tensed up. “Cas, wait-“ he rushed.

“Dean, what’s wrong?” Castiel asked cautiously. “I assumed you would be more enthusiastic to learn that I was alive too. You and Sam always greet each other after the other had supposedly died, so I thought-“

“It’s not like that Cas. I’m, uh, still dealing with the aftermath of the mark, that’s all.” Dean still kept his face bowed and was subconsciously rubbing at his mark again. Castiel wasn’t buying it though. He was always more clever than Dean gave him credit for.

“Dean, face me.” He said firmly. When he didn’t, Cas put a hand on his shoulder.

“No Cas, don’t!” Dean exclaimed. He shielded his face in the crook of his elbow and moved out of Cas’ reach and turned for the door, but Castiel grabbed his free hand and held him in place. Dean’s eyes turned pitch black at the touch, but the ache of the missing blade had been replaced with the caring touch of the angel’s hand, freeing his mind from the constant obsession for a brief moment.

“Dean stop acting like this. Tell me what’s wrong with you. What happened?” Castiel demanded to know. Dean closed his eyes as he faced the door that he could easily escape through. He didn’t want Cas to find out. Not now, while he was still getting used to it himself. When he opened his eyes again, they were a dull shade of green.

“Just… Just don’t freak out okay?” Castiel nodded, even though Dean couldn’t see him.

Dean swallowed hard and slowly turned towards the angel, never removing his hand from Castiel’s grip. When his eyes met the deep blue of Cas’, his heart sank. Castiel released Dean’s hand but never moved from his spot, all emotions masked from Dean’s point of view.

“You see what I am? What I’ve become?” Dean’s stared into Castiel’s expressionless gaze. “This curse, Cas, it won! I…I’m a demon now. I’m one of them!” Dean stepped closer to Cas, anger rising in his voice. “I am the very thing I was raised to kill!" Dean paused, waiting for Cas to respond. "Well? Say something dammit, don’t just stand there!” He shouted at the angel. Castiel’s eyebrows furrowed in what seemed like sympathy to Dean.

“Dean,” he started, “I do not know what to say. To be honest, I saw this coming. Well, not this exactly, but something like it.”

Dean looked incredulous. “What?” He asked.

“Why do you think I was angry about the mark when I first found out about it? I knew it only meant darkness for you Dean. I knew this would lead you down a dangerous road. But I also knew that we needed to kill Abaddon.” He paused. “Dean, I knew there was something wrong with you the second I came to you. Your scent, it wasn’t right.” He said honestly to him. Dean lowered his gaze, the mere mention of his change making him shameful. Then Castiel reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, making Dean shudder for multiple reasons.

“I do not want to ever hear you say those things about yourself ever again Dean. You are a good man-“

“I’m not him anymore Cas. That man his gone. The Righteous Man? The guy who lived to fight the good fight and kill anything that went bump in the night? He’s gone… I’m just an echo.” Dean replied.

“Why can’t you see the good in you Dean?” Cas asked sadly. “Why can’t you see how much we need you? How much the world needs you? You thought you were poison, Dean, but that was never true. The only true poison came from that mark.” Cas grabbed Dean’s wrist to gesture to the mark on his arm. “You have given your life over and over again for this world. For Sam. For me. Don’t you dare think for one second that you are anything less than God’s greatest creation.” Dean looked up to meet Castiel’s intense stare.

“But Cas- I’m cursed. I’m an abomination.” Dean replied despite Castiel’s words.

“Well I would rather have you, cursed or not Dean Winchester. Remember?” Cas’ grip on Dean’s wrist tightened.

Dean’s eyes widened with awe. He knew that if he possessed the ability to do so anymore, that tears would start to roll down his cheeks. He freed his hand from Castiel’s grip to hold Cas’ hand instead.

“Cas...” He spoke softly.

“It’s okay Dean.” Castiel replied in the same soft manner. “You never gave up on me whether I was an angel, a god, or a monster. And I plan to do the same for you. We’ll get you through this. I will always watch over you.”

With that said, Dean leaned in and embraced the angel in the most heartfelt hug they’d ever experienced. He didn’t mind that his demon senses protested the holy light that was Castiel and Cas ignored the same feeling, because this was them, facing another journey together no matter what their circumstances were. An angel, a demon, and a human, teaming up once again to battle all odds against them. Yeah, the three of them were good enough. They always had been.


End file.
